Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Given the publicity Microsoft has given to the end of mainstream support for Windows 10, there are few users who are unaware if this fact. And with the promotion of the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, most are also aware that there is still a way to get updates.

So, there was a mixture of surprise and anger when users signed up to receive Extended Security Updates started it see a message informing them that “Your version of Windows has reached the end of support”.

It may not have been long since Microsoft finally released the Windows 11 25H2 update, but the company is already working away on the next big release. We know little about it, but Microsoft has – perhaps accidentally – released code that makes reference to Windows 11 26H1.

This is the first time that Microsoft has referred to this particular branch of Windows 11 development, lending some credibility to the rumors that this was the next feature update for the operating system. So, what do we know?

Like many people, you’ve probably put off installing Windows 11 updates because you need to get on with something else. And if at the end of the day you have selected the “Update and Shut Down” option in the Start menu, you may well have questioned yourself when Windows chose to restart instead.

But this was not you; it was Microsoft’s fault. The company has just admitted to the long-standing issue while quietly fixing the bug that has irritated users for a surprisingly long time.

Google has, over the years, added a lot of time-saving features to Chrome. Chief among these are the autofill features which can make light work of filling in forms by automatically entering frequently used snippets of data such as names and addresses.

When it comes to shopping, Chrome can also enter your credit card details for you, so you do not have to keep tracking down the physical card. Now Google has announced new time-saving functions.

For business travelers, holidaymakers and many other people, Google Translate is an essential tool. Making it possible to understand and be understood in other countries and other languages, Google Translate is now gaining a new AI-powered feature.

You would imagine that when it comes to translating text between languages, accuracy would be what most people – if not everyone – would be most interested in. But with the latest Gemini-focused update, Google is giving users the option to choose between a fast translation and a more accurate one.

If you are in a Facebook Group which is private, you might want to keep an eye on things. Meta has just announced that Group administrators will be getting a new option that will enable them to change their group from private to public.

While Meta is promoting this as a way for group admins to “grow their communities”, there will be obvious privacy concerns for people who joined particular groups precisely because they were private. Meta believes, however, that it has things in control, insisting that member privacy can be maintained even if the switch from private to public is made.

WhatsApp has been working on a username feature for what feels like forever, with information gradually slipping out about how this much-requested option will work. There are various reasons for wanting usernames, not least of which is that it just makes sense because it is how just about every other social networking or messaging platform works.

We have already heard from Meta that it believes usernames will help to improve security, and now the latest beta version of the Android app shows us more. Specifically, this latest release shows us how it will be possible to search by username and place calls without the need to know someone’s phone number.

After a period of testing with a limited number of users, Microsoft is finally making a key component of Bluetooth LE Audio available to more people. What does this mean? That you can send audio from your Windows 11 computer to two audio devices at the same time.

This can be used to transmit music or other audio to two sets of speakers, or it could be used to allow to people to listen to the same thing on individual pairs of earphones. While the rollout of this feature remains a little limited in availability, it marks an important step towards general release.

Millions of us rely on Google Maps to get us from A to B; it would be fair to call it an indispensable tool for its users. If you have ever turned to the navigation app, you will almost certainly have noticed that it is something of a battery killer.

Now Google is looking to do something about this, according to a new report. A new power-saving mode is in the works that will maximize battery life when navigating. Why is the change so important, though?

If you have ever been confused by updates for Windows 11, you are not alone. Microsoft is aware that the mish mash of unclear and inconsistent names used for different types of updates has left many people confused – so it is doing something about it.

The company has announced a change to the way in which it labels updates, making them simpler, more consistent, and easier to understand. Here is how things are changing.

Instagram is borrowing an idea from TikTok, introducing a Watch History section that will be welcomed by many users.

While undeniably useful, pretty much the only thing that is surprising about this particular feature is that it has taken so long to appear in the app. It solves the problem of viewing a Reel within the app – and then never being able to find it again.

In the most recent Windows Insider builds of Windows 11, Microsoft is testing a new feature that will make it quicker and easier to perform search based on text copied from other documents. The new Copy & Search feature is currently available in the new Dev and Beta channels, and it could be a real time-saver.

While it may not seem like much, Copy & Search reduced a three-step process to a two-step process. In the big scheme of things, it is not much, but it is something that feel significantly faster, even if the difference is quite small in reality. But this is not just a change that is about speed.

When Microsoft released PowerToys 0.95.0 recently there was excitement that it included a new module – Light Switch. But the excitement quickly turned to disappointed and confusion because of a bug that has managed to slip through the net.

Microsoft was fairly quick to acknowledge that when it added the new Light Switch module to PowerToys, it should not have been enabled by default. But as it was enabled by default, many people wondered what on Earth was happening when their computer started randomly changing between Light and Dark Mode.

Android users have a message range of keyboards to choose from, Gboard among them. The beauty of the level of choice is the selection of options and degree of personalization that is made possible.

And it is with personalization in mind that Google has updated Gboard, introducing the option to hide the period and comma keys.

Having someone sliding into your DMs on Instagram could be about to look a little different. The social media platform is rolling out the ability to adorn direct messages with stickers as well as freehand drawing.

As this has been in testing for a reasonable amount of time already, these options may already be familiar to subsets of Instagram users – but now they are rolling out to everyone. If you are yet to experience these new messaging tools, they may not be quite what you expect them to be.